Stress, the Silent Killer

How many times have you been told to learn how to “manage your stress”? While this is important advice, many of us don’t know where to start. In reality, it comes down to managing our perceived stress. There are many things in our environment that we can’t control, but we can control how we perceive this stress. It is important to note that the perception of our stress is the primary driver of the physiologic outcome. 

The importance of managing stress is paramount. 75 to 90% of all visits to health care providers result from stress-related disorders.  Chronic stress (even if it is perceived stress) can cause a wide range of issues including changes in the volume of certain areas of the brain, decreased immune function, heart disease, weight gain, memory impairment, anxiety, digestive issues, headaches, hormone imbalances. It is even linked to cancer. We have over 14000 chemical reactions that occur in the body as a result of stress. 

So, what exactly is happening when we are under stress? Cortical centers in the brain sense a disruption and respond by activating pathways through the limbic system, this causes release of norepinephrine and epinephrine and eventually cortisol.  If the stress persists (which it commonly does in our modern society), the hypothalamic pituitary adrenal axis sustains the immediate reaction and continues to promote release of glucocorticoids (GCs). Most organs and tissues have GC receptors and respond to GCs induced by stress. As you can see this is a very physical response to stress. So, no, it’s not “all in your head”. 

Warning signs that stress is affecting you psychologically and physically: 

•Loss of focus and mental clarity

•Lack of ability to relax and sleep

•Loss of self esteem

•Feeling tired and on edge/anger

One of the main reasons why so many people struggle with chronic stress is that many of us do not know how to relax. We think watching netflix, scrolling social media or drinking a glass of wine at night helps us unwind. However, watching netflix and scrolling social media keeps us in a state of fight, flight or freeze, whether we realize it or not. This constant stimulation of the brain and frequent environmental changes and even perceived stress (depending on what you are watching) keeps us stuck in a sympathetic state. 

Alcohol has many negative effects on the body and brain including hormone imbalance, blood sugar imbalances, adrenal dysfunction and changes in brain matter (even in small amounts). Alcohol for “stress relief” actually causes more harm than good and starts a roller coaster of stress on the body and can actually create a dependency. 

Exercise can be wonderful in counteracting chronic stress, but it doesn’t necessarily put our nervous system in a parasympathetic state.  In order for the body to truly relax, we must shift into a parasympathetic (rest, relax and digest) state. There are many ways to do this including: meditation, heart math or heart rate variability feedback, prayer, breathwork, grounding, gratitude, Neuro Emotional Technique (N.E.T.). Anything that stimulates the vagus nerve can also help us shift into a parasympathetic state. We can stimulate the vagus nerve with deep breathing, gargling, singing and humming. 

Simple deep breathing exercises throughout the day may be an easy way to start working on this shift from sympathetic to parasympathetic. I would recommend inhaling for 4 seconds, holding for 5 seconds and exhaling for 7 seconds. Even just 3 cycles of this 3 times per day can make a difference.  These are all recommendations that your provider may make, but in reality what will work is something you actually enjoy.  Ideally, you would want to choose a type of exercise that you enjoy and one of the mind-body techniques discussed. Remember, there may be some trial and error to figure out what works best for you. We will dive deeper into each relaxation technique in future blog posts!